Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

55 reviews

pibblemama97's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy

ashlikes's review

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

_chella_s's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol

mazycelia's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Dementia, and Pregnancy

giannareadsromance's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is incredible. I’ve never read a story even remotely similar. Wow is truly all I can say. One of my all time favorites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

xoxandiexo's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

speechless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

rachelmichelson's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder

risquish's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty

lea_talisa's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

This was great! It was also absolutely heart breaking and sad but through all of that I loved the story of Cora and Dean.

Normally we get to see kidnappings in books only as another thing happening to make the plot more interesting and often the aftershocks aren’t even mentioned. I love that in this book the main focus is actually on these effects after the kidnapping. There’s deep trauma, overwhelming emotions and feelings of betrayal. But there’s also new found trust, hope, love and most importantly healing.

I loved accompanying both Cora and Deacon along their own and very different ways of coping. It’s a rollercoaster going up as much as down always trying to find balance with each other when in the end they find balance in their own selves.
There are a lot of setbacks and the book ends with a Happy Ever After.

This story touched my heart. There were parts I could hardly get through and was near tears praying for the characters to find a way out of their misery (during as well as after the kidnapping). 

Check the trigger warnings on this one! Most of it is graphic and this is definitely not a lovely romance where “love conquers all”. Though there definitely are some parts like that the majority of this book is about trauma and healing; together as well as alone, yet always supported. 

I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this book a lot even a long time after I’ve read it. This is just the kind of story that sticks to you through its darkness and personal connection.

Quotes (maybe contain minor spoilers?):

„We are bound, chained, tied—to our trauma and to each other.

We’re in this together.“

„My whole life I’ve been terrified of the ocean. I’ve been scared of being dragged down into a cold, dark sea, swallowed by waves, clutching my chest and gasping for air.

But this sea is not made of water.

And maybe drowning is the only way out.“

„The only thing I wanted more was to see her smile.

I wanted to see her glowing and thriving and truly living her life.

I wanted to see her just like this, just like she is right now, happy and healing and learning to love herself again.

So, it’s all been worth it“

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Grief

etdavenport's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder